Hi, all, I've enjoyed reading the posts continuing the thread on hypocrisy. I think what makes Kakki, Colin and most of the people who post here NON-hypocritical is their flexibility, and their honesty about their feeling conflicted when that happens.
I think what makes us scornful of such people as Mr. Sullivan (alluded to in an earlier post, he's an "openly" gay journalist who is openly scornful of some of the subset lifestyles, in which it turns out he secretly participates) and various other public figures (including some ex-presidents) is their refusal to admit they've done anything wrong. Such a refusal to see yourself in anything less than a perfect light can get to eerie extremes (viz. a certain former football player's apparently sincere belief that he really didn't kill his ex-wife and another, since he just wouldn't do that kind of thing, being the kind of guy he is, etc.). By way of contrast, some public figures can be "rehabiltated" in the public view if they do a sufficient "mea culpa" job, such as (the soon to appear in SF with *gasp* John Waters) wondrously made-up Tammy Faye (formerly Bakker). One last note re: hypocrisy: If you like the Simpsons *and* philosophy, get a gander at The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'Oh of Homer. Good chapter on Hypocrisy, and many other philiosophical subjects there. Pecae to all, warmly, walt
